Any "Sparkies" out there?

[jimyoung]

Hey Guys,

I am upgrading electronics on my 27' and just acquired a Lowrance LCX 25.  It is a GPS/Fish Finder (that I'll use more as a depth indicator) with water temp and speed-across-water readout.  What I want to do is:

1.) interface this with a laptop that I take aboard to download waypoints routes etc. that I create using Offshore Navigator (usually during slow times in the office when I am dreaming up my next sail).  Also it would be nice to upload (actual tracking data) from the Lowrance as well (so when I get back to the office I can sail the trip again.)

2.) "Y" the signal from the GPS antenna to my laptop as well as the Lowrance so I don't have to mount a second antenna.  I have a small Garmin GPS that I have allways used with the laptop but would be really cool if I could just "Tap" into the Lowrance Antenna.

The Lowrance unit is NEMA 2000 compliant so this should be do-able via the output wires on the Lowrance and a RS232 connector but I have no idea as to what signal wires would go to where on the RS232.  Lowrance was not much help, responding that "It can be done but they do not sell the adapter cable so they can't advise as to how to wire it."

Any help or advice on how I can obtain a schematic for the above would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again guy's..... Fair winds.